China, officially the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is a sovereign state in East Asia. It is the world’s most populous country, with a population of over 1.35 billion. The PRC is a one-party state governed by theCommunist Party, with its seat of government in the capital city of Beijing.^[15] It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai andChongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau); while claiming sovereignty over Taiwan.